ELLICOTT CITY, Md. _ Ellicott City was devastated by a massive storm on the Sunday before Memorial Day, just two years after a flash flood forced the historic city in Howard County to rebuild much of its Main Street.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and said he was on his way to the scene of the devastation. He said in a tweet that he has directed the Maryland Emergency Management Agency to assist in helping the city recover.
A flood emergency was first issued in Ellicott City at 4:40 p.m. Two hours later, the National Weather Service warned another inch-and-a-half of rain was expected to fall before 7 p.m.
"This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC situation and you must move to HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY AND STAY AWAY FROM ANYWHERE WHERE WATER IS MOVING," the National Weather Service tweeted.
Fast-moving, brown water rushed through the city's Main Street, nearly reaching the top of a stop sign and submerging cars. Some residents said Sunday's barrage seemed worse than the storm in July 2016, which killed two people and destroyed local businesses.
"It is equally devastating, if not more so, than the flood of July 30, 2016," said county spokesman Mark Miller. "Right now, we're solely focused on making sure everyone is safe and no one is injured or dies as a result of this flooding."
Miller said no fatalities had been reported. During the last major flood, a 35-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man were swept away by the water and killed.
The Howard County fire and rescue department said at about 5:20 p.m. that "water is receding." They tweeted that "hundreds of rescuers" are swarming to the area. Those seeking shelter were told to go to the Roger Carter Community Center at 3000 Milltowne Drive.
Rescue swimmers from all three shifts were called in, the department tweeted, with swift-water units responding from as far away at Northern Virginia. Emergency officials said there were reports of building collapses, but additional information was not immediately available. Miller said that report was still unconfirmed.
"If you are trapped," emergency personnel said on Twitter, "we are coming."
Jessica Ur, a server at Pure Wine Cafe on Main Street, said she saw the pounding floodwater carry three or four parked cars down the street.
"It's significantly higher than it was before," she said, referring to the previous flood. "At this point, I'm definitely really worried about all our neighbors on Main Street."
Some people stuck on the second floor deck of Phoenix Emporium watched the swift waters rush past trucks and Jeeps left in the road. Portalli's Italian Restaurant employee Arianna Wilgar said the water had reached the establishment's second floor. It was not that high last time, she said.
That July 2016 storm was considered to be a "one-in-1,000-year event," and cost the city tens of millions of dollars in damages and lost business.
At a recent news conference, Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman announced that 96 percent of the businesses are back and more than 20 new ones have opened in the Main Street area. Now many of them will be forced to recover and rebuild once again.
"I haven't seen the shop yet, but I know it's going to be devastating," said Len Berkowitz, the owner of Great Panes Art Glass Stuido. "But there's nothing you can do, I guess. Nature has its way."
A little more than two weeks ago, Hogan announced the state and county were awarded more than $1 million by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund projects aimed at reducing the flood risk in the areas surrounding Main Street. At the time, he called it an "important step in the rebirth of downtown Ellicott City."
By around 7:30 p.m., much of water had subsided and rescue officials walked around downtown to make sure people had been evacuated. Some Ellicott City residents stood on Maryland Avenue with raincoats and umbrellas, watching their town flood yet again. Still, more rain was expected.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brian LaSorsa said he could not confirm at this point whether this storm was worse than in 2016.
"Obviously we're still in the middle of the event," LaSorsa said.
But, he said, "this is obviously a very dangerous situation, and it will continue over the next few hours."
Heavy rain also drenched much of the state Sunday, spurring flash flood warnings and shutting down roads across the Baltimore region.
"If you don't have to be outside, you shouldn't be," said Baltimore County Fire Department spokeswoman Elise Armacost. "You're much safer indoors."
Armacost said the department was fielding dozens of weather-related emergency calls, with most of the activity was in the Dundalk area. Cars were getting stuck in high water and basements were flooding, she said, though no injuries had been reported so far.
A tornado warning in Baltimore County ended at 4 p.m., though the National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for Baltimore and its surrounding counties until 2 a.m. Monday _ Memorial Day.
Among the areas specifically in danger of flooding: Baltimore, Sparrows Point, Dundalk, Towson and Catonsville, among others. In Catonsville, the high waters shut down Frederick Road.
Hogan echoed emergency officials in asking people to stay home and avoid roadways.
"If your area is under a flash flood warning," he tweeted, "take precautions and seek higher ground."
Ur, the 27-year-old server at Pure Wine, praised the rescue teams working fast to evacuate restaurants in the historic district.
"The first responders were here really quickly, before it got as bad," she said. "It's still really bad. No one should try to come down here right now."
Miller said that the county would soon begin putting together their long-term recovery plan _ "just like last time."
